The Rizzoli's
by CarterVictoria
Summary: This story is something I thought of after the season finale. Jane raising a teenage daughter with the help of Maura. NO Rizzles, SORRY! Takes place ten years before the show does.
1. The Casey Thing

**Hey guys, so this is just a little something I thought of after watching the season finale, this is just an idea of what it could be like if Jane actually is pregnant and decides to keep the baby. This is a future fic of Jane with a teenaged daughter, give it a try and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but my characters and plot lines belong to me.**

Charlotte Rizzoli sits at the counter of Maura Isles' kitchen as her Nonna is making dinner

"Your mother is going to be home soon, is your homework done?" Charlotte is not paying attention, she is looking out the window thinking about the phone call she had earlier that day. "Charlotte!" Angela yells, now standing across the counter from Charlotte "Did you hear me?" Charlotte shakes her head slightly

"Uh, sorry Nonna, what did you say?"

"Is your homework done?" Charlotte looks down at the math worksheet long abandoned, and she shuts her binder deciding that missing one more homework assignment can't hurt her too much

"Yeah, all done." She shoves her binder into her overstuffed backpack, her transition into high school has been much harder than anticipated, and her freshman year, only just beginning has proven very difficult.

"Are you lying? Because you know Maura is going to want to check it, especially after your mother got that email from your teacher about your grades slipping." Charlotte plasters a cheesy grin on her face as she turns to face her grandmother

"Nonna, when have I ever lied to you?" Angela lets out a loud laugh as Jane and Maura walk into the house

"What's so funny?" Maura asks placing her bag down on the table

"Me." Charlotte says proudly as she gives her mother a welcoming hug

"More like your face" Jane says with a smirk as she kisses her daughter's temple, smelling her familiar sent of vanilla and powder soap. Charlotte slaps her shoulder lightly as she gathers up the rest of her things and places them by the couch

"How was your day kiddo?" Jane takes a beer from the fridge and sits at one of the empty stools at the island. Charlotte doesn't verbalize an answer, she simply shrugs. "I spend all day chasing serial killers and that's all I get?"

"Isn't another part of your job interrogation?" Charlotte raises an eyebrow, playfully challenging her mother

"Ouch. Touché little one." Charlotte laughs and takes the seat in the middle of Maura and Jane. Although Jane is her mother, Maura has always been there and Charlotte sees her as her other mother. She lays her head on Jane's shoulder and her mother runs her hand through her wild brunette curls. Charlotte lets out a deep sigh, every day that Jane comes home safe is another night that Charlotte can rest easy. Having her mother chasing around crazy serial killers and working with the most dangerous people Boston has to offer has never been something Charlotte was easily able to stomach, but has put up with, knowing that it is her mother's passion and she loves what she does.

"Time to eat!" Angela shouts as she pulls the pan of chicken out of the oven. The women start setting the table and pouring drinks and dishing up the food. Within minutes they are eating, enjoying each other's company as they often did on weeknights. After dinner, Jane and Charlotte say their goodbyes and head home.

* * *

Once back in their cozy little apartment, they both instantly go to their bedrooms to change out of their uncomfortable uniforms and work clothes into sweats, and sit down to watch the football game recorded from over the weekend. During an instant replay, Charlotte musters up enough courage to say what she has been holding in all day, internally wondering how to bring it up to her mother.

"Casey called today" Casey, although not an attentive father, called once a month to check in on his daughter. Charlotte has never met him in person, a decision made by Jane, based on his less than desirable reaction to her pregnancy.

"Oh yeah? What did he say?" Jane takes another sip of her beer and she absent mindedly runs a hand through her daughter's hair, a nervous tick she started as soon as Charlotte started growing hair

"He said he's switching bases again, that he isn't going to be able to talk for a while." Although he did not seem to want to be a father to Charlotte because he would not be able to be around for her, due to the Army, he never missed a month, not a single month went by that he did not speak to Charlotte; and the phone calls were never short, they seemed to talk for quite a while, about a lot of things. "But-" Jane turns the T.V. off and turns to face Charlotte sensing her nervousness

"What?"

"He said he's coming back to Boston, in two months, he asked if we could maybe meet up when he gets here. He said it's up to me, whatever I decide, we'll do." Charlotte spits her words out, and then makes a face like they left a bad taste in her mouth

"What did you tell him?" Jane tries to keep a neutral face and tone, not wanting to sway her daughter in one way or another; she is after all almost fifteen and more than capable of making the decision on her own.

"I didn't give an answer. He said he'll call when he gets here." Charlotte starts rubbing her hands, a habit she picked up from Jane when she was little and she saw her mother rubbing at her scars all the time. "What do you think I should do?"

"I don't know baby, this is a decision I can't make for you. Do you want to meet him?" Charlotte shrugs. Her mother asks this as if she's asking what she wants for lunch. This is a question she has been asking herself for years.

"I don't know. I mean, on one hand he is my father, at least biologically. But I like what we have now, it's different, y'know? It's kind of like having a pen pal, someone that isn't in my life everyday but I can tell stuff to…" She shakes her head causing a few rogue curls to fall in front of her chocolaty brown eyes "It's stupid."

"No, it's nice. I'm glad that you can talk to him. He always was a good listener." Charlotte always hated bringing up Casey, talking about him made her mom sad.

"I guess I just need some more time to think about it." She leans back into her mother who wraps her strong arms around her, and they watch the rest of the game in a heavy silence.

* * *

The next day is Tuesday, meaning Jane needs to get herself and Charlotte out the door early to be on time to school and work. If Charlotte is late one more time she will be written up and given detention. Charlotte, despite her many wonderful attributes has never been very dedicated in her studies and according to one of her teachers "Lacks discipline and respect for others".

"Charlotte Maura Rizzoli, let's move it! We cannot be late again!" Jane takes a sip from her oversized travel mug of coffee as she unlocks her gun from the safe. Charlotte emerges from the bathroom in her school uniform and her hair half up with a blue bow, pulled out of her face the way her mother likes it. Jane takes a moment to observe her daughter. She has grown an obscene amount in the last year, and is almost as tall as herself. Her skinny legs, exposed by her pleated skirt reveal many scars from sports injuries and

playing rough with her cousins T.J. and Lilah over the years. She is skinny, maybe a little too skinny but not from lack of appetite, the girl can eat anything. Her big, round, brown eyes are those that seem to look straight through you but contain such warmth and compassion, something Jane assumes she has picked up from Maura because she has seen the same look in her eyes. Charlotte grabs her backpack and her own mug of coffee that, despite Jane's best efforts, she still drinks and they move out the door quickly.

After fighting through city traffic for nearly half an hour, Charlotte is late to school, again. She seems unaffected by the fact that this will be her third detention within two and half months of school. She gets out of the car and runs into the school's main entrance, sending one last wave to her mother before disappearing behind the large glass doors. Jane heaves a heavy sigh and heads straight to work.

* * *

"Ms. Rizzoli!" Charlotte hears her homeroom teacher announce as she tries to sneak into the room "Thank you for joining us" Her voice is anything but sincere

"Anytime Mrs. Lang" She says coolly as she takes a seat next to her cousin and best friend Lilah, receiving a cold glare from Mrs. Lang who has quickly developed a strong dislike for Charlotte.

"You really should try to be on time, like, once." Lilah says as she draws on her hand with a black marker

"Thanks mom," Charlotte pulls out her phone and replies to a text quickly "besides, what's the point? It's not like we do anything in homeroom anyway." She gestures to the room of students talking, scribbling furiously trying to finish homework and texting. "I just don't get the point of coming in an extra half an hour early to sit. That is valuable time that I could be sleeping." This last statement earns a giggle from Lilah.

"I guess you're right." She pushes a lock of her straight blonde hair out of her face, allowing Charlotte to see what she has drawn on her hand; it's a heart with the number 43 in it. The bell rings signaling the beginning of first period, as Charlotte gets out of her seat to leave Mrs. Lang slaps a detention slip on her desk

"You better be there this time Ms. Rizzoli, this is your last chance, next time you skip out on detention we get your mother involved." Her face is stern and she glares at Charlotte over her thick framed glasses

"Yes Ma'am!" Charlotte gives a mocking salute as she follows Lilah out of the classroom.


	2. Time to think

**Author's Note:**

**I am absolutely thrilled and inspired by the reaction to this fic! Thank you all so much for your follows and reviews! But I had a few people ask if this is a Rizzles story, unfortunately it is not, and I fixed that in the summary, sorry about any confusion! I do however have a Rizzles story in the works, so keep an eye out for that one. This story is based on the great friendship that they have like in the show. Another thing that was brought to my attention is age. I have decided to tweak the timeline a little bit for the sake of my story. Jane and Casey's relationship happened earlier than it did in the show. (They were about 25, making Jane 40 in this fic) Sorry about any confusion! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but my characters and plot lines belong to me.**

* * *

The final bell rings, hoards of teenagers exit the school excited to be done for the day.

"Hey Char, don't you have detention?" Lilah turns to Charlotte who raises an eyebrow.

"Oh please Lil, like I ever go. Mrs. Lang said the same thing last time and nothing has happened so far." Charlotte pulls her headphones out of her bag.

"Do you want a ride? My dad's here and we have to go right by your house." Charlotte looks to Tommy's SUV where TJ is already sitting and talking to his dad about something animatedly.

"Nah, it's cool. I'm going to the precinct today anyway. I've got to talk to Maura about something." She waves to her uncle and cousin and promises to call Lilah later, before walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

She makes it to the police station in less than half an hour and pushes through the heavy double doors.

"Hey Walter!" She strides over to the front counter and leans on it, greeting the old man that has had the same post for as long as she can remember

"Hello Miss Charlotte, how are you today?" He gives a gentle smile as she grabs her ID badge from her backpack

"I'm good. Did your daughter have her baby yet?"

"Not yet, but when she does you'll be the first person here I tell." He laughs a little

"As it should be Walt." She gives a little chuckle and a wave before heading into the café "Hey Nonna!" She hops onto a stool and does a full swivel before leaning over the counter and kissing her grandmother's cheek

"Hello beautiful how was your day?" Angela places a bagel and a cup of cranberry juice in front of her

"The usual; I went, learned stuff and left." She plays with her bagel, but doesn't eat it. The decision making process is still eating her up inside. At least at school she can distract herself but here and at home that's all she can think about.

"Sounds like a productive day." Angela laughs and then returns to helping a cop at the cash register

"Charlie!" Frankie's voice rings out from behind her; he and Tommy are the only two people she has ever let call her Charlie, she prefers Charlotte or Char but with them it was different.

"Hey Uncle Frankie" her smile is as genuine as they come as he wraps a heavy arm around her skinny shoulders and takes a large bite out of one half of her bagel. He scrunches his nose

"Cinnamon sugar?" He forces a swallow and then takes a swig of her juice

"You know it."

"That's disgusting!"

"What are you talking about? It's the best kind!" she takes a small bite out of the other half and chews, getting closer to his face. He pushes her back slightly

"You're crazy. Have I taught you nothing? Always go with the everything bagel!" His phone rings "Sorry kid, I've got to take this, if you're looking for your Ma she's out for now but should be back soon." She shakes her head and waves as he walks quickly out the door and she can hear a quick "Rizzoli." Frankie was put into Homicide after they lost officer Frost, he takes his job very seriously and Charlotte can tell he likes working with her mom, he looks up to her. Also working for Homicide allows him to work with Maura more, they think nobody knows about their relationship but it is obvious, at least to Charlotte, and has been for the last year. She takes one more sip of her juice before disposing of her food.

"Bye Nonna! I'll see you in a bit." Angela waves as she is currently distracted by her boyfriend. Charlotte shows her ID badge to the security clerk who checks her backpack, if only because it is his job. It's Barry, she's known him since he's started there, and he waves her through.

"I think your mom left."

"It's okay Barry; I'm here to see Maur- Dr. Isles." She swings her bag over one shoulder before smacking the down button on the elevator

* * *

"Susie did you get the toxicology screening results on Jane Doe back yet?"

"No, not yet Dr. Isles."

"Okay let me know as soon as you receive them. Jane is waiting on those." Charlotte waits for Susie to leave the room before walking into the autopsy room. Jane used to try to keep her out of there but quickly learned it was no use. She doesn't speak but clears her throat to let Maura aware of her presence. The doctor turns around looking up from the lifeless body of a teenage girl on her table.

Charlotte always enjoyed watching Maura work; she is so fluid and deliberate with her actions. It is also a plus that it is one of the few times that Maura doesn't look runway ready, and is a good reminder that even Dr. Maura Isles is human.

"Hey Maura" she moves further into the room "Jane Doe, huh?" Maura nods solemnly and returns to her work "that's sad" The girl appears to be around 16 years old, with curly brown hair much like her own and a large gash on her head "No one is missing her?" Charlotte sits on the empty autopsy table behind Maura, purposefully obstructing her view.

"We don't know that yet." Maura continues to suture up the body. "How was school today?" Maura tries to change the subject. She can almost see Charlotte squirm behind her "Charlotte?" Charlotte turns her attention away from the body and back to Maura who is now finished and facing her.

"It was fine." Maura removes her gloves and gestures towards her office. They walk into the immaculate space; everything in Dr. Isles' office has a place and a purpose. Charlotte sits on the couch curling one leg underneath her.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Maura sits in the chair across from the young girl she views as her own. Charlotte's eyes widen and then turn into a knowing glance.

"Mom told you. About Casey." She learned long ago that nothing that she tells to her mother is ever a secret from Maura, and the other way around. "I don't know. I feel like I should meet him. I feel like I owe him that much." She pulls at a stray thread in her pleated plaid skirt.

"Charlotte, sweetheart, you don't _owe _him anything. This is about what's best for you, about what you are comfortable with. If you're doing this because you feel as though you have to, well I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason." Charlotte has always envied Maura's confidence and her ability to always say the right thing.

"You're right. It's just, I'm only fifteen. Sometimes I wish someone else would just make these decisions for me." She leans into the back of the couch, and begins to rub her hands. Maura moves next to Charlotte and grabs her hands

"Well I think we both know what your mom would pick." Omitting a breathy laugh, Charlotte wraps her arms around Maura and lays her head on her shoulder. Maura kisses the top of her head "But this is the hard part of growing up; learning what it's like to make the hard decisions. It's never fun but you're smart, you'll pick the right thing in the end." Maura's voice is smooth and calming as she runs her hand up and down Charlotte's arm.

"Yeah maybe."

"CHARLOTTE MAURA RIZZOLI!" Jane's voice booms through the autopsy room and into Maura's office

"But I wasn't so smart today… And now I think that I'll have plenty of time to think about what I'm going to do." Jane storms into Maura's office

"You skipped detention? Again?!" Jane is fuming and Charlotte stands "What the hell kid? I thought you said you were gonna be better, stop getting in trouble?" Charlotte doesn't answer, knowing very well these questions are rhetorical "Get your ass in the car, you're going home where you'll be for the next two weeks, you are so beyond grounded…"

Oh yeah, she'll have plenty of time to think.


	3. New Neighbors and Dinner at Maura's

**Yo! So this chapter is a little bit of filler but it has some set-up in it as well. Thank you all for your favorites, follows and reviews, they mean the world to me and I am thankful for each and every one of you!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but my characters and plot lines belong to me.**

* * *

Jane and Charlotte enter their apartment greeted by Stitch the dog Jane had gotten for Charlotte after Jo Friday passed. Stitch is a red and white Italian greyhound; he is overly attached to Charlotte, as she is to him. She grabs his leash from the hook by the door

"I'm taking Stitch for a walk, I'll be back."

"Don't forget that we have dinner at Maura's tonight."

"I thought I was grounded?" Charlotte looks to her mother, hand on her hip, a mirror image of herself, so much so she has to stifle a laugh.

"You are, but Hope and Cailyn are coming over, and we made a commitment, so we're sticking to it. Don't take too long, you need to come back and change." Charlotte doesn't reply and simply swings the door shut behind her. Outside of the apartment she walks for a few minutes before finding Stitch's favorite grassy spot

"Take your time boy. I am in no rush to get back this time." After Stitch takes care of his business, they sit on a nearby bench, Charlotte absentmindedly stroking his short hair. "I wish I were you right now, you know that?" She scoffs "Look at me now, talking to a dog." She kisses his head and ruffles his ears before starting back to the apartment. On her way back up the stairs she notices a few boxes in the hallway. She slows down to observe a man and a teenaged boy moving the boxes into the apartment by the main staircase.

"Oh hey there" The man is tall, about 6'5", sturdily built, he has a wide grin on his face, causing wrinkles to form around his eyes. "You live here?" Charlotte stops two stairs up

"That's the rumor." She nods her head and picks up Stitch, shrugging her shoulders

"I'm Mark and this is my son Wright" The boy looks to be about her age, and she is suddenly embarrassed that she is still in her school uniform. "We're the Walkers" The man extends his hand to hers and she takes it

"Charlotte, I live upstairs." She looks to the boy again, he is strikingly good looking "Oh, and this is Stitch." She signals to the little bundle of fur in her arms. Mark tries to pet the top of Stitch's head but he nips at him "Hey boy, it's okay. Sorry, he gets a little nervous around new people"

"No worries. We're all a little shy sometimes." Wright picks up another large box, labeled 'Research' and takes it inside to the roomy apartment. Charlotte gets a glimpse of the cluttered space before signaling up the staircase

"Well, I better get going, my mom is waiting for me. Nice to meet you both."

"Yes, very nice indeed Charlotte. You'll have to introduce me to your mother and father soon; I'd like to meet them." Charlotte doesn't bother correcting him she simply nods and makes her way back upstairs.

"New people downstairs, in 1A." She puts Stitch down and takes his leash off and he follows her into the kitchen. "Seem nice. Very… _charismatic_." Jane doesn't look up from her file folder. "Look, Ma, I know you're mad and you have every right to be. I just-" Noticing that Jane has no reaction "I'm sorry. I'll talk to Mrs. Lang tomorrow about my punishment." She places her cell phone and iPod on the counter before walking into the bathroom and starting the shower, knowing that they have to leave for Maura's soon.

* * *

Jane and Charlotte arrive at Maura's early, knowing how neurotic she can be when her family is over. Walking into Maura's kitchen smells like heaven.

"Maur?" Jane shouts signaling their arrival

"In the kitchen Jane" Maura and Angela are moving around the kitchen quickly making sure everything looks and tastes perfect. Charlotte takes a seat at the island "Charlotte, your mother let you out?" Maura gives a sly smile "I thought you were 'so grounded'?" She says in a mocking tone

"What did you do this time?" Angela says, always the last to know, as she kisses her granddaughter's forehead. Charlotte waves her off and rolls her eyes, as if to say 'it's not important'. Charlotte looks to her mom, who has not made eye contact with her since this afternoon. There is no doubt that Jane is furious with Charlotte, she did after all promise that she would make more of an effort with her behavior issues, and her grades, both of which are still suffering greatly. After a few more moments of commotion the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" Charlotte eagerly jumps at the chance to get out of the kitchen. She opens the door to Cailyn and Hope.

"Hello darling!" Hope opens her arms and envelopes Charlotte in a hug. Despite the initial difficulties surrounding their relationship, Maura, Hope and Cailyn have all developed a rather stable and warm relationship, causing Jane and Charlotte to become close with them as well.

"Hi Hope, Hi Cailyn, how are you guys?" She closes the door and follows them into the kitchen

"We're well, how are you doing?" Charlotte doesn't get a chance to answer before Angela interrupts

"Hi how are you? It seems like it's been so long!" She hugs both of them before Cailyn and Charlotte break off and go into the living room.

Cailyn is four years older than Charlotte and in college. Despite the issues with the adults in the family, the two girls get along extremely well and always have a good time. In many ways Cailyn is like the big sister Charlotte never had.

"So how's school?" Cailyn asks slumping into the overstuffed arm chair while Charlotte lays herself out on the couch, dangling a hand over the edge to graze Bass' shell. She remains silent, after moment she looks into Cailyn's eyes and puffs out a loud breath "That bad, huh?" Charlotte shrugs and sits herself cross legged on the couch

"I skipped detention today, my Ma is furious. She isn't saying anything which is her tell. She stays silent as long as she can and then one day she just…" she feigns an explosion with her hands and sound effects.

"Well, bonehead, don't do stupid shit and your mom won't have a reason to get mad. It's just that simple." They share a laugh until they are interrupted

"What's so funny in here?" Frankie appears above Charlotte and he ruffles her hair because he knows she hates it.

"Hey Uncle Frankie, I didn't know you were coming." Charlotte stands up and hugs him. When they separate he looks tired, he has dark bags under his eyes and they are glassy. She doesn't bring it up, knowing it would just embarrass him

"Well Charlie, your Ma told me what you did so I figured that I would just come over here and give you a stern talking to." He says loudly while Jane walks past the living room, then turns and winks at the girls. Jane scoffs and shakes her head and continues her way back into the kitchen. "Listen, Kiddo, I know you've been having a hard time, but just shape up. Try harder to be good, listen to your teachers, do your homework..."

"Don't do drugs, stay in school, I got it Barney Fife." She claps his back and makes her way back into the kitchen with Cailyn on her tail.

"You girls ready to eat?"


	4. The Quadratic Formula

It's been a week since her initial grounding, on top of her punishment at home, Charlotte has a week of office detentions, and has to do extra make up work to raise her grade in math. The day after dinner at Maura's Charlotte noticed Wright in the hallway at school. After some observation she has gathered that he is quiet and polite towards teachers and even the other students. He is in four of her eight classes and they share glances every once in a while but neither has made any effort to talk to the other; until that next Tuesday after school. Charlotte is walking into her building and notices him coming up behind her.

"Hey Wright" He looks up at the mention of his name

"Oh hey, Charlotte." He opens the door for her and they walk into the entryway of the building, stopping in front of his apartment. "How have you been?" He has the politeness of his father but he is much quieter and much more nervous.

"I've been alright. How about you? How do you like the new school?"

"It's alright, lots of people." He shrugs "But the classes are good. Not that we've really talked or anything, and don't take this the wrong way but, it was kind of nice having a friendly face in some of my classes." Charlotte looks into his green eyes and gives him a warm smile.

"Yeah, we should study together sometime. I'm swimming in makeup work for Mrs. Lang's math class."

"Yeah me too. We should work on it together, maybe tomorrow?" There is shakiness in his voice and she realizes the slight blush on his freckled cheeks

"Well I'm supposed to be grounded, but since it is for school and we'll be in the building, maybe I can convince my mom to let me. I'll let you know tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me." He reaches out a hand to her and she takes it, shocked at the prospect of a handshake from someone her own age. "See you tomorrow." He opens the door to his apartment and Charlotte takes a quick peek inside, boxes still littering the living room and a shout from another room asking who it was, and then the door shuts, leaving Charlotte on her own. She climbs the stairs and pushes the door open to her apartment, instantly greeted by Stitch.

"Hey Bud!" She scoops him up and kisses his head "I'll take you outside in a minute, okay?" She puts him back down and goes into her bedroom. On her bedside table she sees her cell phone on its charger. There is a message on it from her mother

'Charlotte, you've been working hard, you're off grounding but still on probation, love Ma' She quickly changes into sweats and grabs her phone and takes Stitch out for a walk. On her way back inside there is a loud bang from inside The Walkers' apartment followed by shouting, she can't make out what they're saying but it sounds angry. There are a few more small bangs and then silence. Charlotte runs upstairs and locks both locks on the door behind her.

* * *

Jane gets home late that night, well after 11 o' clock and Charlotte is still sitting on the couch working on homework.

"Hey kiddo"

"Hey mama" she is clearly preoccupied but not by the work in front of her. She is biting her lower lip which usually signals a deeper problem. Jane eyes her for a moment before sitting down beside her daughter "How was work? Catch all the baddies?" She grabs her mom's right hand, noticing Jane stretching it and begins to rub it for her

Jane answers closing her eyes and leaning into the couch "Yes ma'am we did. How was school?"

Charlotte shrugs "It was alright; nothing to report. Although, I did get asked to be somebody's study buddy" She says in a sarcastic manner, masking her actual excitement.

Jane opens one eye and looks at her girl "Really? Who might that be?"

"Wright Walker, he's the new boy downstairs, he's in a few of my classes and we figured we could work on some math homework tomorrow after school, that alright?" Jane nods affirmatively, and Charlotte continues to rub her mother's hands but keeps a distant look in her eye.

"You alright baby?" Jane takes a firm hold on her daughter's hand, stopping her mid-thought

"Yeah, just a lot on my mind. I'm gonna go to bed." She kisses her mom's cheek and walks past her to her bedroom, Stitch closely behind her.

* * *

Jane has to leave early for work the next morning leaving Charlotte to take the bus to school. When she makes it to the bus stop she sees Wright standing there.

"Hey" She pokes his shoulder as she approaches him; he turns his face slowly to look at her, revealing a large bruise on his cheekbone and a broken blood vessel in his eye. "Oh my God, what happened?" She lets slip out before placing her hand over her mouth. He lets out a scoff

"What? This?" He signals to his face

"No, I meant the bad hair day, of course that." She instinctively takes his chin in her hand and examines the injury

"Charlotte, it's nothing, me and my dad were messing around, wrestling and I caught an elbow." He grabs her hand and pulls it away from his face and smiles at her. She looks into his entrancing eyes and there is something off about him, but she can't place what it is. "Really, I'm fine." She lets it go for now, and tries to bury the nagging feeling in her chest. "So, what? You're slumming it on the bus with us second class citizens today?" He nudges her with his elbow.

"Well, we all have to make sacrifices sometimes." She sighs heavily and they share a chuckle. "Nah, my Ma had to take a case early this morning. It happens every once in a while."

"What does she do?" At the mention of her mother, his attention spikes and he turns to face her

"She's a detective in the homicide unit for Boston Police." His eyes widen

"Wow, that's pretty badass."

"Yeah. What about your dad? What does he do?" Wright turns and faces forward again

"Oh y'know, a little of this, a little of that." He shrugs as the bus approaches, they board and the mention of his father seems to halt the conversation completely and they ride the whole way to school in silence.

* * *

After school Wright and Charlotte meet up and take the bus home.

"So, your place or mine?" Charlotte asks hoping that she could get inside and take a look around their apartment

"Yours?" Charlotte looks up at him, there is a sense of near desperation in his voice "It's just, y'know, we still have boxes all over the place and it's a pretty big mess."

"Yeah, no problem, my place it is." They climb the staircase and enter the apartment, Stitch runs to greet them and Charlotte scoops him up.

"Pretty cool place." Wright says looking around the cozy living space

"Thanks, you can take a seat at the island." She lets Stitch out onto the balcony and grabs two water bottles and cut up veggies from the refrigerator placing them in front of Wright "Maura always says that healthy snacks are a good way to start off any study session." She smiles at him as she bites into a carrot stick

"Who's Maura?" He grabs a cucumber slice

"She's my mom's best friend. She helped raise me; so she might as well be my mom too." She points to a picture of the three of them that's hanging on the fridge "She's the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; she's pretty badass too." The two share a laugh as they start pulling books and notebooks out of their backpacks.

"So, how 'bout that quadratic formula, huh?"

* * *

Jane walks through the door at about five o' clock with Maura in tow; Charlotte and Wright are still working on math homework.

"You switched the equation," She says as she reaches over Wright and erases something on his paper, he leans into her slightly but they both jump at the door opening

"Hello children" They turn to see the two women in the door way

"Hey mama, hey Maura" Charlotte stops what she's doing "This is Wright, from downstairs." Wright stands up and shakes both Jane and Maura's hands.

"Nice to meet you both." Jane looks at his face

"One hell of a shiner you got there kid." Wright looks back at Charlotte slightly embarrassed

"Real subtle Ma."

"No worries, I should probably get going though, it's almost dinner time and dad will kill me if I'm late." He grabs his things from the countertop and makes his way past the women out the door. Charlotte glances pointedly at Jane before turning around on her stool and continuing her work.

"How was work?" She doesn't look back up from her papers as Maura takes a seat beside her

"It was good, closed another case. How was school?"

"Fine. I'm almost done with all my makeup work." There is silence for a moment as Charlotte vigorously erases something she has written down

"What's up with you, huh?" Charlotte looks at Maura, and then to her mother "You were acting weird last night when I got home and now… what's up?"

"It's nothing, I'm just sick of doing math. I hate math."

"You're lying." Maura says as she looks into Charlotte's eyes, and then looks to Jane "She's lying"

"Why are you lying to me?" Jane leans on the counter and dips her head so Charlotte is looking into her eyes

"I'm not lying. I just have a lot on my mind, and I'm tired." Charlotte sounds a little defensive as she gets up and shuts the door to her room behind her, shutting even Stitch out.


	5. You'll Worry Yourself Sick

"She's hiding something." Jane signals to Charlotte's closed door

"Maybe not. Maybe she's just preoccupied." Maura takes a sip of her wine, knowing full well that something is going on with Charlotte.

"Yeah, I mean the whole Casey thing hit her hard. I can tell she's torn about that. This just seems, _different_. She always talks to me… or you."

"She will, just give her time. She is a teenager after all. A Rizzoli, nonetheless."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jane asks with a smile

"Stubbornness is in her genes." Maura shrugs and takes another sip of her wine and both women share a soft chuckle.

* * *

Later, Charlotte is lying in bed, wide awake. All of a sudden she can hear yelling, for only a brief moment, in the apartment underneath hers, The Walkers. There is a long period of silence and then a loud bang like someone falling or something being thrown. A million scenarios run through her mind and she can't stop them, which prevents her from sleeping at all. 6:00 AM comes much too quickly and she drags herself into the shower, gets dressed and sees the note from Jane saying she already left.

Charlotte sees Wright at the bus stop again and notices there are small scratches, like someone clawed at him, peeking out from the top of his uniform sweater.

"Hey there" He has a smile on his face and Charlotte can't help but wonder how

"Hey" She almost whispers. She doesn't look into his beautiful eyes out of fear of what she'll see there and instead fiddles with her backpack straps as they wait in silence for the bus.

* * *

Later in English class, Charlotte observes him from her seat in the back of the room and watches as he takes his pull over sweater off, his shirt coming up slightly with it and revealing a sizeable bruise around the middle of his back. Charlotte's chest constricts and she feels as though she can't breathe; she pictures his dad doing that to him. She doesn't ask to be excused she simply walks out the door and runs to the bathroom, she slams the door to the stall and tries her best to take deep breaths but it doesn't work the way she hoped it would. When she leaves the bathroom, she almost walks into her English teacher Mr. Bennett

"I'm sorry Mr. Bennett. I thought I was going to be sick." She places her hand on her stomach and he softens his glance at her

"That's alright Charlotte. Go down to the nurse, alright? I'll send someone down with your things."

"Yes sir, thank you." She gladly takes the opportunity to be alone and goes to the nurse's office; hopefully she won't want to call her mother and will just let her sleep for a while.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the nurse has demanded answers of what was ailing her, she had to admit she felt nauseous and tired, almost achy. Despite the fact that Charlotte didn't actually throw up and ignoring her pleas not to, the nurse calls Jane. Charlotte lies back on the cot in the nurse's office and Wright walks into the room

"Hey, Mr. Bennett asked if I would bring this to you." Wright drops her backpack and winces as he stands back up straight "what do you carry in there bricks?" He jokes trying to cover up his pain

"Yeah, it's my daily strength workout." Charlotte says trying her best not to act weird around him "Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, when you get better, do you maybe wanna, go out… with me?" He skids his shoe against the tile floor and he looks like a small child

"I'd like that." She knows she needs to get to the bottom of whatever is happening to him and this may be the way to do that. Besides that she finds that she really enjoys his company.

At this moment Jane walks into the room "Hey kiddo, you're not feeling well?" Charlotte shakes her head as Jane places a hand on her forehead. As she's doing this Wright is looking at her intently and then shakes himself out of it

"I should go, feel better Charlotte." He waves and then quickly leaves the room

"Let's get you home, alright?" Jane grabs her backpack and helps Charlotte up. "You look really tired."

* * *

"Lay down on the couch and I'll get your blanket and pillow." Jane says as she and Charlotte enter the apartment. After talking to Wright, Charlotte has felt worse and worse and can swear she feels a fever coming on. She takes the pajamas her mother offers her and lays down on the couch, Stitch instantly jumping to her side. Jane tucks her into the couch and places her palm on Charlotte's forehead "You're burning up kiddo."

"Huh?" Her thoughts have kept her completely preoccupied "Oh. Yeah, I feel pretty crappy." Her eyes are glazed over, as she tries to sort out her thoughts through her increasing discomfort.

"Alright, just relax." Jane's phone rings "Rizzoli. What? When? Alright, I'll be right-" She stops herself and looks at Charlotte

"Go Ma, they need you, I'll be fine." Jane nods

"Okay, I'll be right there." Jane runs her hand through her daughter's hair, and she dials her phone "Hey Maur, you're done with the autopsy right? Could you come over to my place and keep an eye on Char, she's got a fever but I need to go. Okay, thank you." Jane hangs up her phone and goes towards the kitchen.

"Ma, you didn't need to do that. I'll be alright." Jane returns with a glass of water, medicine and the thermometer

"Yeah right kid, you're sick, someone needs to take care of you. Are you hungry?" Charlotte scrunches her nose and shakes her head

"Do you feel like you're going to throw up?" Charlotte shakes her head once hesitantly and then changes her mind

"Maybe a little." She has always hated being sick, not only because of how crappy it made her feel but it also made her feel like a small child, needing to depend on someone for everything. Jane moves the trash bin next to the couch and places the thermometer into her Charlotte's mouth.

All she can think about is what is happening to Wright, what she can do to help, how he must be feeling, what his father did exactly that caused such extensive bruising, what other injuries he has sustained because of him. Before the thermometer can beep she pulls it out of her mouth and vomits into the bucket next to her. Jane rubs her back with one hand and holds her hair in the other

"It's okay, you're okay." Charlotte can't stop herself, and she can feel hot tears on her cheeks "You alright?" She nods her head and takes a sip of water "I'll call Frankie back and say I can't go." Charlotte shakes her head adamantly

"No. You go. I'm fine." She puts the thermometer back in her mouth and Maura walks through the door

"Hey Maur, thanks for coming. She's not doing well. I'm gonna be back as soon as I can." She lowers her voice for the second part of what she is saying "If she gets worse or anything happens…"

"I'll call. I promise." Jane kisses the top of Charlotte's head, not liking how sweaty and hot she is, and quickly leaves before she has time to think twice about it.

"Hi sweetheart." As Maura sits down the thermometer beeps and she pulls it out of Charlotte's mouth before she even has time to react "102.5 that's high." Maura gets a cold compress and places it on Charlotte's head and soon after Charlotte falls asleep.

* * *

A while later, Jane still isn't back and Maura is sitting on the couch reading with Charlotte's head in her lap. She had been tossing and turning so Maura moved closer to her to comfort her. She has been murmuring for a short while. Her fever must have spiked eliciting slight hallucination.

"No… no, don't do that. Stop." Charlotte's voice is still quiet but Maura can now understand her words "Stop hurting… don't do it. I'm sorry."

_Inside Charlotte's dream… Wright is huddled in a corner, his father is standing over him holding a baseball bat; screaming at him, threatening to beat him. Charlotte runs over to him and grabs his shoulder, screaming at him to let his son go, to let them both go. She sees her face in her dream, it is battered, showing the exact injury Wright had to his face. As she grabs his shoulder he swings around and knocks her out with the bat. With the connection of the bat to her skull she wakes with a start, jolting upright._

"Charlotte, are you alright?" She doesn't register Maura is there so Maura grabs her shoulder causing her to turn around and swing her hand out in defense. "Hey, you're okay. You're alright." Charlotte is in a haze but seems to calm under Maura's touch. She leans back against her, she is sweating profusely and she feels like her head is about to explode. She places her hand on her head and then feels for an injury to her cheek, of course there isn't one.

"The man, the-the-the guy, and the bat!" She sits back upright, her posture rigid and her pupils are dilated.

"Charlotte, you're alright, it was a nightmare, probably brought on by your fever." Charlotte's face is so pale you could almost see through her. Maura places the thermometer into her mouth and waits for the beep. "Charlotte, I don't want to scare you but we have to get you to the hospital." She starts to get Charlotte's coat and calls Jane "Jane, Charlotte's fever has spiked. 104.5 I'm bringing her to Mass General, meet us there." She hangs up and helps Charlotte down the stairs where Wright appears from his doorway

"Charlotte? Are you alright?" He has a panicked look in his eyes as he looks between Charlotte who seems to be on another planet and Maura who is doing her best to support her.

"She's fine. Her fever spiked, I'm taking her to the hospital." He moves towards them

"Let me help." He picks Charlotte up in one fell swoop and brings her out to the car. "Let me know how she is, okay?" Maura nods and speeds off towards the hospital.

* * *

After admitting Charlotte, Jane and Maura go to find coffee and let her sleep.

"This kid is gonna give me gray hairs faster than I can dye them." Jane laughs as she puts sugar into her cup and Maura dips her tea bag into her cup.

"But you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Absolutely not, I love that kid more than anything." She lets out a deep sigh "I hate it when she's sick."

Jane forces herself to stay away from the room for a while longer before going back to wait by her side until she wakes up. Jane and Maura go back to her room to find the bed empty, the IV ripped out. "Char?" They check the bathroom and the surrounding rooms, thinking she may have woken up confused and wandered off but she is nowhere to be found. Maura runs down the connecting hall to get a nurse to call 911 as Jane calls Frankie.

"Frankie! Charlotte's gone!"


	6. Missing

"Frankie! Charlotte's gone! I don't know she wasn't in her hospital bed, not in any of the surrounding rooms or hallways. Come quick." Jane hangs up her phone and jogs to the nurses' station "No one's seen her?" A nurse shakes her head while another nurse is speaking to Maura. Within ten minutes Frankie is running down the hall

"Janie! What's goin' on?"

"Maur and I went to get coffee and let Char sleep for a while and when we came back she wasn't in her bed." Jane places a hand on her forehead, trying to keep her dizziness under control while Frankie puts a gentle hand on her shoulder "She was out of it, hallucinating, she could be laying in a ditch somewhere… she wasn't in her right mind. She must have wandered off somewhere while no one was looking. How could no one notice her just walk out?" Her words are coming out of her mouth almost faster than Frankie could process them, growing angrier as she goes.

"Okay, we're gonna figure this out. Sit down here. I'm gonna talk to someone about getting the security footage." He leads Jane to a chair in the waiting room as Maura brings her some water.

Charlotte struggles to fight through the overwhelming grogginess she is feeling; her fever is still high, she is sweating profusely and her whole body aches. She blinks her eyes a few more times before finding the strength to lift her head. She looks around the room; a room she has never seen before. It's a small bedroom. She is chained to the radiator and lying on a mattress on the floor, in the corner a lamp sits on the floor trying its best to give a little light and there are a few boxes resting in a pile and scattered around the rest of the room. Her vision is still slightly blurred, she feels like her brain is working at half of the speed it usually does. She looks behind her and sees pictures plastered to the wall; girls tied up and beaten; bloodied teenagers who look very similar to herself. She tries to free herself but she is too weak and succumbs to sleep once again.

"We've got the security footage!" Frankie runs up to his older sister and leads her and Maura into the lounge they've blocked off for police personnel only. They pop the tape in and fast forward until they see someone approach Charlotte's room

"Right there. Who is that? It isn't a doctor or nurse." Jane points to the screen and squints to try to get a better look; it's a man, he's tall, largely muscular and has a balding head. The video tape shows him walking into Charlotte's room and three minutes later exiting carrying her still unconscious form, looking around him to make sure that he is unseen "Who the hell is that?" Jane slams her hand down on the table "I'll kill him, I'll fucking kill him." She begins to pace and Maura puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Take another look Jane. You're sure you don't know him?" Jane replays the tape four more times

"No. I can't place him." Her voice is dripping in defeat as she hangs her head

"Me either." Frankie adds with a sympathetic look towards Jane

"Keep playing it, see if he's the only one that went in that room before me and Maura came back."

Charlotte awakens once again, this time to a loud bang in the other room

"Careful with that!" A man's boisterous yell echoes through the room and causes Charlotte to jump. She huddles against the wall becoming aware of her pounding headache and extreme thirst. She quickly evaluates the rest of her body looking for any other injuries, but there are none. There are some more loud banging sounds from the other side of the door, accompanied by some more yelling; she tries to place the familiar voice but nothing comes to mind, mostly because her head hurts so badly she can't focus on anything for more than a few seconds. She looks down at the mattress she is on, and on the other end there is a large blood stain, she pushes herself as far away from it as she can get. Tears slip down her face as she struggles once again to free herself from her restraints.

"God damn it!" Jane slams her flattened palm against the wall. She has been pacing for nearly 20 minutes. She is waiting on facial recognition to get back to her but she has yet to hear any news.

"Jane, getting angry isn't going to help."

"They have my little girl Maur! Whoever this sick son of a bitch is, he has my daughter. If we don't catch this guy… if she dies-"

"We'll get him. She's smart, she'll survive until we get there."

"God, I hope so. I can't lose her Maura, I can't." Jane collapses into a hard, cloth covered waiting room chair and Maura wraps her in a hug, wishing there was something more she could do; but all there is to do right now is sit and wait.

Charlotte is slowly starting to move out of her feverish stupor and her mind is beginning to clear. She reevaluates her surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. The walls are a deep maroon, much like her mother's room. The windows are covered with dark cloth curtains but she can see a sliver of daylight, it is no longer Tuesday. The yelling in the other room has ceased for the time being, but it is only a matter of time before it starts again, or worse, someone comes in to see if she's awake. She tries to think of a way out but her restraints have her held too tightly. She can hear the door slam in the other room and heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. There is silence for a minute and then the door creaks open. There is a moment before anyone walks through it, a moment that feels like hours as Charlotte holds her breath. After another prolonged moment someone finally walks through the door and Charlotte's eyes widen and she croaks one word out in a raspy whisper.

"You?"


End file.
